Fruits with Excellent Color and Floavor to be Served
Public Relations Division
2022.09.02
255
The Korea Seed & Variety Service (Director General Kim Ki-hoon, KSVS) has produced and supplied virus-free fruit -tree seedlings through a project to produce and supply virus-free stocks of fruit trees since 2022.
This year, 258,000 seedlings, or about 6.6% of Korea's five major fruits (apple, pear, grape, tangerine, and peach) were supplied. From next year, 390,000 seedlings, 10% of Korea’s five major fruits including consumers’ favorite items such as Fuji Fubrax (apple), Shine Muscat (grape), Sinhwa (pear), and Redhyang (tangerine) will be supplied.
Approximately 1,500 viruses are known to infect plant species. Currently, climate change has accelerated the spread of viruses among species globally. In Korea, economic damage caused by viruse infection in major crops is estimated at about KRW 1 trillion, accounting for 20% of the total production.
Fruit-tree damages caused by viruses are poor fruit color development, poor fruit set, weight loss, reduced sugar content, and increased fruit firmness. Generally, the virus infection reduces 20 to 30% of the production and sugar content by 2 to 5 Brix depending on fruit species.
As fruit tree virus can be transmitted by grafting and sap inoculation, the use of virus-free stocks* can help prevent virus damage. These stocks are resilient to viruses under the natural conditions, enabling farms to produce high-quality fruits for 15 to 20 years. * Virus-free stocks: Healthier seedlings raised after eliminating viruses through heat treatment and meristem culture.
To sustainably promote and supply virus-free stocks, the KSVS provides virus testing and creates cultivation areas for mother stocks in cooperation with organizations* which manage virus-free stocks. It aims to supply about 40% of Korea’s five major fruits’ annual distribution with virus-free seedlings by 2026. * Korea Nursery Tree Management Center, Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency, Agricultural Technology Centers in Gyeongsan and Okcheon, and Jeju Gamgyul Nonghyup.
To reduce the financial burden of farms purchasing virus-free seedlings, the KSVS provides a subsidy of KRW 3,000 per stock for the five major fruits.
, “Grapes produced from virus-free stocks have 2-3 Brix higher sugar content and make a big difference in taste perceived by consumers,” Park Jae-hyeon, a farm owner who has produced grapes using virus-free seedlings for many years said. “This year, we will supply Gold Sweet*, Ruby Sweet*, and Shine Muscat grapes produced from virus-free mother stocks.” * New variety of grape developed by agricultural technology centers in Gyeongsangbuk-do to be supplied as virus-free stocks from 2023.
Director Yoo Byung-cheon of Seed Testing & Research Center of KSVS said, “We hope that fruit farms earn more income, and many Korean people enjoy high-quality fruits by using virus-free seedlings,” and stressed, “We encourage fruit farms to use the virus-free seedlings.”
For more information on production and purchase of virus-free stocks, please contact the Seed Testing & Research Center of the Korea Seed & Variety Service. (☎ 054-912-0232)